Coin-locking mechanism



M. H. MANDELBAUM AND B. R. WEBSTER.

COIN LOCKING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.19. 1920.

1,376,959. Patented May 3,1921.

UNITEDV'STATES PATENT orr es.

.MIAURICE H. MANDELBAUM, oI' CHICAGO, AND ensure a. WEBSTER, on ELGIN, ILLI'. I NoIs, ASSIGNORS, IBY DIRECT'AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'I0 BRANDT CASHIER COMPANY, A CORPORATION or ILLINoIs.

. COIN -LOCKIN G MECHANISM.

1,376,959, Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 19, 1920. Serial No. 352,285. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MAURICE MAN- DELBAUM and BESTER R. WnBs'rER, citizens of the United States, and residents of Chicago, in'the county of Cook, State of Illinois, and Elgin, in the county of Kane, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to change making machines and particularly to a novel coin ejector-lock adapted for use in connection with devices of the type described.

Our invention may be considered as an improvement on the device illustrated in Reissue Patent No. 14,227, of December 12, 1916, to E. J. Brandt. One of the principal objects of the construction here illustrated is to provide an extremely simple mechanism which is gravity actuated and therefore requires no springs. A further object is to provide a device so arranged as not to interfere with the position or operation of the coin ejector and which will operate not withstanding the presence of worn, mutilated or imperfect coins.

In machines of the type described a supply of coins is maintained in suitable chutes provided in a tray. The chutes must be ofv such diameteras to provide freedom of movement between the coins and all ossible points of contact of the coins with t e sides of the chute in order to allow for variation in the diameter of different coins of the same denomination and the further variations caused by wear. It is furthermore desirable to provide for a maximum of freedom of movement between the coins and the Side walls in order to facilitate the filling of the chute. Where a detector is adapted to cooperate with coins in the stack it will beseen that its operation is uncertain if the 00111 or coins with which it engages do not always occupy the same relative position and this difliculty is experienced where. a detector having a single finger is employed. However, by employing a detector comprising two fingers which engage the coin at separated points the possibility of improper o eration, due to movement of the coins in t e chute, is eliminated.

By the use of a detector having two finin Coin Locking gers we secure a further advantage. .Where it s desirable to look only after all the coins except one or two have been discharged the detecting finger must be placed so close to the detector as to necessitate a reduction in the size of these parts and a requirement for greater accuracy in construction-and fitting. Bj; prov1ding a detector having two fingers w lch are mounted for operation in planes on opposite sides of the ejector we are able to offset this difliculty and the detecting fingers may be so positioned as to lock on the last coin if desired.

These and other advantages'in the construction about to be described will more fully appear hereinafter.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein; I I

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a change making machine constructed in accordance with'our invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front view thereof is an enlarged sectional view of the bell-crank which constitutes the detector Fig. 3

and detent.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing the relation of the detecting fingers to a coin; and,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showlng the means for retaining the lock release in a depressed condition.

Referring more particularly to the drawings it will be seen that the device of our invention may be associated witha coin tray or chute 10, a few of the coins 11 being indicated in position in the tray. A coin ejector comprising an ejecting finger 12, actuated by a push bar 13, serves to displace the lowermost of the stack of coins in response to the actuation of the proper key. This mechanism being old it is not specifically illustrated or described herein.

Our invention, which includes means for locking the coin ejector. in order to prevent actuation after the stack of coins has become depleted to a predetermined extent, comprises a bell-crank, best shown in Fig. 3, consisting of a metal blank bent to provide a channel-shaped arm 14 constituting a detent, and a pair of arms 15, 15, whlch constitute detecting fingers. The fingers 15 are Patented May 3,1921;

" the position shown in Fig. 1. In this POSI- tion it is impossible to actuate the coin ejector by reason of the fact that the detent engages with a notch 17 formed in a projection 18 from the ejecting finger. 12.

As shown in Fi 4, we provide the detecting element wit two fingers extending through a suitable opening in the wall of the tray and bearing agalnst the sides of the coins retained within the chute. Due to the construction described, the fingers bear against the coins at separated points on the periphery thereof and thus compensate for lateral movement of the coins within the container. This construction provides another advantage. By employing two fingers it will be seen that the detector may be so mounted that the fingers are on opposite sides of the ejecting finger 12, and, therefore, that the device ma be adapted to permit operation down to t e last coin if desired without interfering With the ejector. Thisoperation is possible in view of the fact that the detector andthe ejector occupy different vertical planes. In normal operation it will be seen that the bell-crank is retained with the detent in a raised position, due to engagement of the detecting fingers 15 with a stack of coins, as indicated in dotted lines in the figure.

4 As a means for disen aging the lock, in order to permit of'the ischarge of all the coins in the tray, we provide an arm; 19 fixed to the shaft 16 and engaged by a rocker 20, pivoted at 21 and adapted to be oscillated by a key 22. The ke may be retained in its depressed condition y moving the slide 23, 7

best shown in Fig. 5, a convenient button 24 for that purpose being provided. The shaft 16 carries an arm in the form of a cam 25 mounted beneath the channel-shaped por- A tion of the bell-crankand as the key 22 is scribed is capable of much modification and such modifications as are within the scope of the claims we consider within the scope of our invention.

We claim: 4

1. In a coin handling machine having means for holding a stack of coins and coin e'ecting means, an automatic lock for said e ector, said lock com rising a pair of separated fingers adapte sides of the stack of coins at separated points on the periphery thereof, and a detent controlled by said fin ers, said detent being adapted to engage wit the ejector when said fingers are allowed to project into the line of the stack of coins, substantially as described.

'2. In a coin handling machine having means for holding a stack of coins and coin ejecting means, a gravity acting lock for said ejector, and a pair of detecting fingers adapted to engage at separated points on the periphery of said stack of coins, said fingers serving to control the action of said detent, substantially as described.

3. In a coin handling machine having means for holding a stack of coins and coin ejecting means, the combination of a bellcrank mounted on a horizontal pivot above the coin ejector, one arm of said bell-crank being bifurcated to form two fingers located in vertical planes on opposite sides of said ejector, the other arm of said bell-crank acting as a detent and being adapted to engage the ejector when permitted by the position of the detecting fingers, substantially as described.

' Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 19th day of December, 1919.

MAURICE H. MANDELBAUM. BESTER R. WEBSTER.

Witness CHAs. F. MURRAY.

to bear against the 

